Ration



C. LINE.

HEATER EUR cARBURE-Eas 0R THE UKE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 30. |916.

Patented Nov. 1l, 1919.

j flle/62" @hwk/s UNITED sTATEs PATENT on CHAIILES LINE, OIF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO MECHANICAL UTILITIES COR-PO- l BATION, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 0F ILLINOIS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented NOV. 11, 1919.

Application led October 30, 1916. Serial N o. 128,358.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES LINE, a citi-V zen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certainnew and useful Improvement in Heaters for Carburetersor the like, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

'My invention relates to electric heaters and is particularly concerned with heaters of the type suitable for warming the liquid fuel which is commonly employed in modern internal combustion engines, particularly automobile engines.

One of the particularly disadvantageous features of the internal combustion engine has been the necessity'for starting the same. This was cured in the automobile particularly, by the employment of electric starting apparatus. Under ordinary conditions the power stored in the electric storage battery is sufficient and generallymore than suflicient to turn the engine overuntil it begins to run under 4its own power.'

However, under severe weather conditions land especially where fuel oil of a lower vaporization point is employed, it is impossible to start the engine when the parts are cold.1

The object of my invention is to provide a. compact but powerful heater suitable for application to carbureters of substantially all typesr with a'minimum of expense and bother in attaching. f

' In the accompanying drawings which form a part of the present specicatioml have illustrated one manner in which my invention may be carried out.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a heater constructed according to my invention, showing the same in the processof assembling;

Fjig. 2 is a cross section at one of the terminals, and' Fig. 3 is a vd1agrammatic illustration of.

I the manner of applying the heater to a wellknown type of carbureter. K'

The most convenient place to apply. the heat and the place where it will do the most good is at the ioat chamber of the carbureter since in this receptacle is contained the liquid fuel which is iirst drawn upon in starting the motor. Itis notintended that the heater that I have shown be employed similar electrical insulating material.

for heating all of the liquid, although I do -not wish to limit the invention to heating .other terminal of the switch 9 is connected to the opposite poleof the battery 8. "s shown in Fig. 3, the fingers 5 are bent over the top of the float chamber 2 and serve to maintain the heater l in position. If it is desired to place the heater 1 at a lower p04 sition on the float chamber the same is accomplished by lacing a pair of wires 10 across the top of the float chamber. .These wires are fastened in suitable holes formed in the lugs 5, as shown in Fig. 1. The shell '4 of the heater is provided at each end with a pair of lugs 12, 13, and the ends are drawn toward eachother by'means of wiresI passing through the ends of the lugs.

The heater is constructed as follows: The outer shell 4 comprises a strip of thin sheet metal which is provided with the lingers 14 struck up from each edge of the metal, as

shown in Fig. 1. Next to the lshell 4 is placed a thick strip ofasbestos 15, or other suitable heat insulating and electrical insulating material. Upon the strip of asbestos 15 is\ placed the active heating element 16 which is preferably formed of a piece of suitable resistance wire of the proper dimensions and output to draw a fairly heavy current from the battery 8. I prefer to have4 this heater so constructed that it' will draw from 4 to 10 amperes from the usual 6 volt battery which isy employed for starting purposes. -Over the resist-ance element 16 is placed a thin strip 17 of asbestos or other strip of thin sheet metal 18, preferably perforated, as shown, in order t'o make the same as flexible as possible, is laid next to the insulating strip 17 and the ngers 14 are then ,e bent over 'or clenched in order to hold theV parts firmly together.

It is to be noted that if a solid flange instead of the lseparate ingers 14 were employed the resulting structure would be too stiff to be wrapped aro-und different sizes of tloa't chambers.

The ends of the strip are bound together by a plurality of fingers 19, which are also bent over to holdl` the ends 01"' the various strips and the shell. The ends of the resistance wire 16 are connected-to the terminal 6 by means of a screw 20 passing through an insulated bushing 21 in a hole near the end of the shell 4. A suitable nut 22 holds the terminal 6 against the insulated bushing 21 but allows it to be placed in any convenient position tor the `wires 23 and 24twhichlead to the switch and to the battery.

A clip spring 25 is adapted to be snapped upon the heater l to hold the same in firm contact with the float chamber. Two outstanding parallel beads 26v and 27 are f punched in the outer shell t and these Ibeads prevent the clip spring 25 from shifting upward or downward on the heater l.

It can be seen from the above that l have provided an inexpensive heater of simple construction which can be applied to any make of carbureter and apply the heat where it is needed. y l

l am 'familiar with a number of diiferent constructions wherein an electric heater is employed to heat the nozzle of a carbureter,

-or .is suspended in the air passages of a carbureter, but my 'device is not to be confused with such constructions inasmuch as the fuel passes by such heating means too rapidly to receive any degree of heat. According to my invention the heatl is appliedy to a suliicient bulk of the material to [enable the motor to start, but dueto the :tact

that the float-occupies a considerable space in the interior of the chamber, l have an ideal condition for imparting heat to the gasolene in that it is in contact in a thin annular ring with a large metallic surface upon theoutsideof which my heater is applied.

l What ll claim is:

l. ln an electric heater, a heating element, flexible insulating means upon eachside of said heating element7 a thin strip of flexible metal upon one side of said insulating strips,

a thin strip o metal upon. the outside of said insulating strips, said latter sheet having fingers struck up therefrom and extending over and embracmg the edges ot said ".inner sheet of metal and terminals for said l heating element, said terminals secured to said outer sheet of metal, said heater being substantially flat upon its inner surface adapting it for close contact with the surface of the object to be heated.

2. lin a heater of the class described, a flexible heating element, iiexible sheet of insulation upon each side Voi? said element,

`float chamber or the like.

3. ln a heater of the class described, a pair ott insulating strips7 an electric heater between said strips, a thin sheet of metal substantially coeXtensive with said strips, a thin sheet of metal upon the outside of said strips, said outer sheet of metal having iingers extending over the strips ot' insulation and over the edges o' said inner sheet to hold the parts together, lugs struck up from the edges' of said outer sheet and cables for drawing said lugs together in order to cause the heater to grip the object to be heated and integral projections ei;- tending from said heater adapted to engage the object to 'be heated to prevent relative lateral movement of the heater.

4f. An electric heater for carbureters comprising a lieXible metallic girth, means en gaging the Agirth 'for drawing the latter into close engagement about the carburetor, an electric heating coil in the girth, and means for supporting the girth, said means also engaging the carbureter to prevent the girth 'from slipping downwardly thereabout.

5. An electric heater tor carbureters comprising a flexible metallic girth, means en gaging the girth for drawing the latter into close engagement about the carbureter, an electric heating coil in the girth, and means for supporting the girth, said means comprising an inwardly extending lug arranged at substantially right angles to the upper edge of the girth for engagement with the shoulder of the carbureter, to support the girth Jfrom slipping downwardly thereabout. Y

lin witness whereof Ti hereunto subscribe my name this 27th day of @ctober A. l).

enana Linn. 

